


Anytime

by happilyinsane13



Series: "I defy you stars" [3]
Category: Captain America, Doctor Who, Doctor Who (2005), The Avengers (2012)
Genre: Angst and Humor, F/M, Post Angels Take Manhattan, Steve Feels
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-10-09
Updated: 2012-10-09
Packaged: 2017-11-15 22:53:36
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 961
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/532677
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/happilyinsane13/pseuds/happilyinsane13
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>After Time takes her from Steve, she comes back because Time has caught up with her too.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Anytime

The snow flurried around him and to anyone inside their apartment it would have looked like a beautiful array of white dust settling around the tall, handsome man. To Steve Rogers it was just cold. It was a regular night, and abnormal nigh in his standards. No aliens to fight off, world crisis, or SHIELD Christmas party to attend. At other times this would have pleased him, but not this time. 

He could use a distraction. 

It had been two months since the Doctor had come along and told him that River had died. That older, stronger (but not really), charming (aggravating), fucking mysterious married woman who had somehow walked away with his shriveled heart in her hand. Once she was gone (either dead or flouncing away with her husband) she would resuscitate and then deflate the damn thing all at once. 

She was dead. Not because of him but because of time. Time was everything wasn’t it? It took and took and took. Tony told him to get over it, find himself another dame there were plenty but just like Peggy there none like her. For some reason it had hurt all the more when she died. At least with Peggy he had a vague sense, a reassurance, that she reciprocated his feelings and he felt like it was his fault for not making it to their date. 

River was different. His love (yes love, he knew it when he felt it) was unrequited. His had been unrequited, he thought, gritting his teeth as a cold wind struck his face. She loved the Doctor, her husband with the bow tie and the many faces. Steve hated one feeling more than feeling guilty and that was feeling angry at someone. He was angry at the Doctor for letting her die because that is what had happened. He let her die in front of him. It was an earlier him, yes, but he had watched. Steve was no fool. He knew well enough what a fixed point in time was now…

He had watched her die, making the event irreversible. 

Steve could never forgive him for that, and that’s what he hated. He was supposed to be above the anger, the blame but he wasn’t and it killed him on the inside because River would never forgive him for holding ill will towards her Time Lord. 

Steve continued to drudge down the cold city street. He thinks he’s somewhere in Soho well after hours. He really didn’t care. It was all bitter. Yet as Steve turned he felt a buzz of electricity in the air and froze. Out of reflex he swerved around him and crouched in a defensive position and what he saw nearly stunned him.

“Hey there American Boy. A bit chilly out here, isn’t it?”

Steve found himself wrapping her in his arms and burying himself in her curls. This was not fair, torturing him like this. An earlier Her, in an earlier time stream, and dear god he didn’t know if this would be the last time now and it was almost more painful than thinking he would never see her again because now he would never know when would be the last time. 

It was almost more painful. 

_Almost._

She sighed. 

“I’m guessing something happened.”

He nodded. 

“Spoilers.”

After a minute where River indulged him in his embrace she slowly withdrew herself. 

“Well American Boy, it’s a good thing you’re in the mood, because I might need that hug again in a minute,”

Steve did not fully release her from his hold, his big hands still on her shoulders. Her eyebrows creased together in confusion. He didn’t care why she was here as long as she was. 

“What happened?”

“My parents died.”

 

After explaining the incidents with the angels in a late nigh coffee shop two blocks down, Steve shuttered.   
“I can never look at the Statue of Liberty the same way again. Do we need to compromise that thing?”

River chuckled. 

“Not that one, it should be regular metal now. But just in case,” River winked. “Don’t blink.”

“Ugh.”

There was a moment of silence before Steve got up the courage to ask,

“How’d you get here?”

“Vortex manipulator,” she supplied, stirring her spoon in her black coffee absent mindedly. “Can go through a lot of loopholes. The TARDIS could never handle it. The Doctor could never handle it.”

Her voice got softer at the mention of her husband’s name and Steve tried to ignore the pang of jealousy he felt. Shifting his position in his chair he asked,

“Is that why you’re not moping about? You can see your parents?”

“I guess there’s that,” she replied. “Didn’t make it any less painful, really, but what hurt is that stubborn man. So hurt, so vulnerable, and so, so sentimental,”

“You wouldn’t change that though.” Steve pointed out. 

River shook her head. 

“No, I wouldn’t. But I’d give to see an older Him right now, one that could comfort me. Tell me I was right to let Mum be with Dad, and say it wasn’t my fault, that it’s okay I can’t change the future…”

Steve gulped. 

Leaning his head across the table Steve bumped their foreheads together. 

“Well, until that happens,” he whispered. “I’ll tell you now. It’s not your fault. You let your parents be happy together, and no one can change a fixed point. One day… he’ll understand that. Somewhere in space and time he already does.”

Even though I don’t, he though sadly. 

She closed her eyes and leaned into the warm comfort his forehead was providing. 

“Thanks American Boy.”

“Anytime Madam.”

She pecked his nose and in thirty minutes, which seemed like a simple flourish of her black dress, was gone. 

_Anytime._

**Author's Note:**

> I was to tired to beta, sorry! And ugh, I've fallen in love with this unrequited love ship I've created. Forgive me!


End file.
